The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-22
ERIN'S' CAUSE.

ERIN'S' CAUSE.
The Friends Of Ireland Assemble
at Topeka.
Prominent Persons In Attendance-Ele-
suent Address by Senator Ingalls-Ring.
Ing Resolutions Adoptsd-Coerclon
Severely Denounced.
At the great mass meeting Of friends of
Ireland held at Topeka on the evening Of
the 18th prominent people were present
from all parts Of the State. Rev. DR.. NC
Cabe presided and many distinguished per-
sonages were seated upon the stage, among
them Congressman E. ]. Turner, Of the
Sixth district; Congressman Thomas Ryan,
Of the Fourth district; ex- Governor George
w. Click and Captain J. B. johnson, of To
peka; Senator E. II. Hcwins, Of Cedarvale;
State Treasurer Hamilton, Judge Guthrie,
Hon. p. !. Bonebrake, Topeka, and Judge
g. F. Little, Of junction City. After brief
address the presiden: Of the meeting intro
duced Senator Ingalls,, who spoke ~ fol-
lows:
SENATOR INGALLS, ADDRESS.
NJ. President and Feil0W- CRisess:
The resolutions that have been Just read in
your hearing meet with my hearty concurrence
(ApplAusel, and II the voice with which ex-
press my assent finds response In both hemis-
phcres It is because that voice addresses to the
conscience Of the human race and to the con-
sciousness Of humanity itself. (Applause.] I
am hero tonight, fellow-citizens. not - poll
ticisn, not ~ IN Official Of the Government Of
the United States, by which title have been
introduced TO you by Jour president but - IN
American citizen, to express my belief that tho
cause Of Ireland 10 the cause Of Kansas ZAP
plAuse.l One hundred thousand citizens Of
Irish birth and descent have cast their fortunes
with Us and assisted to build up our great fab
nc Of civilization, rich In every element Of pres
emit prosperity, but far richer In evcry prophecy
Of coming greatness and renown. Applause
The Irish cause ID more than the cause Of Kan
SOS, It 10 the cause Of America. Millions of
Irish citizens have contributed Of their muscle
and brain nom the very foundation Of this Gov
eminent TO it success and prosperity: lap
plause.1 More than one-hah Of the soldiers in
the continental army that wrested from Great
Britain the independence Of these Colonies were
of Irish nativity and descent. (Applause.] And
during the long interval that has elapsed Irish
men in America have contributed of their
scanty and pitiful earnings for the support Of
those who had been reduced to poverty in that
land nom which they themselves had fed, more
than two hundred millions Of dollars.
think, Mr.. President, that the cause Of Ire
land thus In wide economic sense Is the cause
Of America. Nor should Americans ever forget
what has been cnuncisted in your resolution,
that in the last great struggle for liberty upon
the American continent, upon every battle field
from Bull Run to Appomattox. there was not .
contest that was not illustrated by Irish hero
ism and valor and consecrated BY Irish blood.
[Applause.]
But, sir, in another and for wider sense the
cause Of Ireland is not alone the cause Of Kan
sas or the cause Of America. 1t transcends the
boundaries OF nations; 1t swpasses the con-
fines Of the seas and becomes the cause of hu-
mainly itself. [Applause.1 1t is sir, the cause
OF the past; 1t is the cause OF Leonidas at Their
mopyla,: IL is the cause Of Winklreid: il is the
cause Of Bruce. Of Bannockburn, Of Hampden
and Pym; it is the cause Of Garibaldi and Of
old John Brown Of Osawatomie. Applause.
1t is sir, that cause which has inspired the
patriots Of every age, the heroes Of every race,
the martyrs OF every religion. And so It is. sir,
that o-night conceive it to be grand honor
and distinction to be permitted to appear here
in this historic city Of this illustriOus Common
wealth that has itself made incredible sacrifices
for liberty, amid . people that have passed
and have met all trials with IN unimpaired con-
stancy and courage; among . citizen
ship that has never failed to re-
spond to the demand for succor
or help from whatever quarter 1t might come; I
say, sir, that feel 1t to be q proud tribute,
proud honor and proud distinction to appear
here to speak in behalf of the struggling mil
lions of ireland in that tremendous conflict that
they arc waging against caste md preroSative
and tyranny [applnuse] under the heroic lead Of
Parnell [applausel and under the heroic lead OF
those English allies, and under Gladstone lap
plausel the grandest brain and will upon this
planet lapplausel in the cause Of home rule
and local selfgovernment for Ireland and the
Irish. IApplause.1
We ask. sir, for Ireland and the Irish what
We ask for ourselves; We ask for them what we
acknowledge here in Kansas, no more and no
less, tapplausel tho right to govern them
selves, to manage their own affairs in their own
way, subject to the allegiance that they owe to
the British Empire.
Mr.. President, the experiment that Great
Britain is trying to make with Ireland is neither
. novelty nor an innovation. 1t is the climax
and elimination Of seven hundred years of un-
broken and continuous oppression and tyranny,
and rs an American citizen think that Is
long enough to try the experiment, lap
plausel for with all the power ut their
disposal, II after seven hundred years
Great Britain by force and violence and coer-
cion and tyranny has failed to accomplish the
final destruction and overthrow OF the Irish
people, it is time to try some other experiment.
tApplausel. II after q period that covers the
life time Of twenty generations of men, Great
Britain has failed in this bloody and brutal ex-
pertinent, IL il time for her to understand that
If she continues longer upon this line in opposi-
ton to the moral sense and the conscience and
the convictions Of Hberty-loving men every
where upon the face Of this earth. tApplauseJ.
say to you, fellow citizens, without the appre-
hension Of successful denial under oath from
any respectable quarter. that tho policy that
has been pursued towards Ireland by Great
Britain for this long period that have described
Is q record Of crime, of tyranny, Of oppression
besides which all the annals OF blood and
rapine that have been written upon the pages
Of the worlds history are virgin innocence.
[Applausel.
Take down the map Of the world, Mr.. Presi-
dent, II you please, and turn TO that little spot
which is designated thereon as the Emerald
Isle: how large space it has covered in the
worlds sympathy! how vast place it has
covered in the worlds history! how deeply
affection for it il imbedded in the undying love
OF home and the unalterable love OF
country that has always animated its inhabit-
ants! A minute and almost infinitesimal speck
upon the surface of the earth; would you be-
lieve 1t, Sir. that the area Of Ireland comprises
but little more than one-haN Of the space al
lotted upon the map to the State Of Kansas.
Draw q line through the meridian of Larned
and 60 eastward 70 the Missouri river and you
have vastly greater territory than that which
has been known in history for more than o
thousand years Is Ireland; land sacred in
song; land surrounded by hospitable seas,
whose exhalati0ns nourish verdure that decks
1t with perennial beauty. benesth whose fertile
soil mines of ores and minerals wait for the
hand Of the miner, whose rivers flowing through
the interior plateau from their mountain
sources. afiording abundant water power for